Chapter 27

"Useful?"

Hu Jiefang asked curiously.

"Useful!"

Heng Jianyun answered resolutely.

The Sino-Vietnamese Self-Defense Counterattack was a localized war. It was called a localized war because China did not mobilize all its forces to fight against Jiaozhi (Vietnam). This was due to both international considerations and the realities of the battlefield. The reality was that the Soviet Union had deployed a fleet and various advanced weapons and combat units in Jiaozhi's Cam Ranh Bay.

To avoid overly provoking the Soviet Union and to prevent the war from escalating into a full-scale conflict, although China had stationed a large number of Air Force fighters on the border, they never engaged in combat with Jiaozhi's Air Force. Jiaozhi's Air Force, aware of its limitations, also never dared to commit its aircraft to the battlefield, except for one MiG reconnaissance aircraft that mistakenly entered Chinese airspace and was shot down.

In other words, despite the intense fighting on the ground between China and Vietnam, this was essentially a two-dimensional war. At most, it could be considered a 2.5-dimensional war, including tunnel warfare.

Without air support, the impact on the ground forces was, well, not much different.

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) was not like the U.S. Army, which couldn't fight without air support. China was the opposite, often referred to as having no navy or air force, only a naval infantry and an air infantry...

Alright, that was just a friendly joke. But the PLA, with its strong artillery doctrine, indeed did not overly rely on air support in various wars.

However, in terms of reconnaissance, the Air Force had a significant advantage. The Sino-Vietnamese Self-Defense Counterattack was a 2.5-dimensional war, meaning that to gather intelligence on enemy positions deep behind the lines, the only feasible method was to send elite teams to penetrate enemy lines for reconnaissance.

But the problem was that Jiaozhi, which had fought from the 1950s to the 1980s and even drove back the U.S., was a formidable opponent. Their special operations capabilities were not to be underestimated.

Penetrating deep into enemy lines for reconnaissance was a matter of risking one's life!

But many intelligence operations that cost a great deal of lives could have been accomplished by the Air Force with just a few flights, quickly and safely.

Due to the Soviet Union's constraints, our PLA ground forces had to risk their lives to complete these tasks.

If there was a type of aircraft that could be used on the battlefield—whether this simulation aircraft could be considered an aircraft was still up for debate—but if it could become a viable reconnaissance tool, it could save countless lives!

And more importantly, it would not belong to the Air Force!

Yes, this was probably even more important to the ground forces.

The military is an organization, and with organizations come hierarchies and vertical and horizontal departments. Normally, if a front-line unit wanted to initiate a battle and needed air reconnaissance support, what would they do?

First, the unit's commander would report to a superior, who would then report to a higher superior. If the situation was unfortunate, it might even be reported all the way up to the headquarters of a major military region for coordination. Then, the military region would communicate with the Air Force, and the Air Force would consider assigning a crew to the task based on their own mission requirements.

Once the mission was completed, the intelligence would first be compiled by the Air Force and then handed over to the military region. The military region would compile and analyze the information before passing it on to the combat units.

This entire process could result in tons of paperwork, more fuel burned than a fighter jet taking off, and enough saliva to fill a bathtub.

For example, during the early stages of the Sino-Vietnamese Self-Defense Counterattack, the command structure of our various military branches and participating units was extremely rigid. Any matter that involved more than one unit had to be reported up the chain of command.

The response was slow, and errors were frequent. Many unnecessary sacrifices were made under these conditions. Friendly units did not know each other's positions, and front-line units needing artillery support did not know the location of the nearest artillery positions. The only reliable support came from their own unit's internal fire support.

For instance, during the early stages of the Sino-Vietnamese Self-Defense Counterattack, the Dainai Ambush saw the 117th Regiment, under the watch of several friendly units, alone blocking the advance of Jiaozhi's 316A Division. Despite our forces outnumbering the Vietnamese, we were outmaneuvered locally, which was partly due to the disconnection in reconnaissance, command, and support systems.

It wasn't until the central government established a forward command in the front lines that the complex command and decision-making mechanism was slightly improved.

However, inter-service coordination remained a daunting challenge that many would rather risk their lives than attempt.

So, imagine if the ground forces had their own aerial reconnaissance capability. Oh, what a blissful thing that would be!

We could conduct reconnaissance whenever and wherever we wanted, without getting bogged down in paperwork, without the Air Force's complaints, and without risking our lives on reconnaissance missions...

Heng Jianyun was so excited that he almost lost himself in thought.

"Jianyun, Jianyun!"

"Ah!"

Heng Jianyun snapped back to reality, wiped the drool from his mouth, and stared at the small CRT display in the cockpit. He turned to Hu Jiefang and asked, "Old Hu, can this thing really fly? Can you show me?"

"Sure, no problem."

Even if Heng Jianyun hadn't asked, the simulation aircraft was supposed to fly every day. The fuel was just a mix of gasoline and diesel, and the factory could afford the cost. Hu Jiefang gave a nod to Shen Qianzhe, who was in the cockpit, and then went to the control panel to make a call.

He quickly applied for clearance from air traffic control and confirmed that the airspace was clear. Meanwhile, the simulation aircraft on the runway completed its pre-flight preparations.

Following Shen Qianzhe's instructions and the operations of the flight instructor, the J-7 simulation aircraft took off after a short runway run, its wings vibrating as it gracefully ascended into the sky.

"It really can fly!" Heng Jianyun watched the simulation aircraft climb into the sky, his eyes wide with excitement, until the plane became a small dot and the engine's roar faded away.

"Hey, comrade!" Heng Jianyun nervously greeted the pilot, who was a flight instructor from Xiucheng Aviation School, and asked, "Can you lower the plane and show us the ground view?"

The instructor glanced at Shen Qianzhe, who was more authoritative on the scene than Hu Jiefang. Seeing her nod, the instructor reduced the throttle and pressed the control stick to point the plane's nose toward the ground.

In the 1980s, high-rise buildings in Xiucheng were rare, and the most common structures were three- to four-story apartment buildings. From the sky, they looked like neatly arranged matchboxes.

"The image isn't very clear, and the camera is shaking a lot. I can't see anything on the ground..."

Heng Jianyun shook his head in disappointment at the ground view on the display. The resolution of televisions at the time was poor, and the performance of the camera in the simulation aircraft was average. While the sky was clear, the ground, with its complex details, was much harder to discern.

Hu Wenhai explained, "Uncle Heng, don't worry. For reconnaissance, we can install a high-quality camera. The flight display isn't designed for ground observation."

"Can this plane carry a camera?" Heng Jianyun nodded in understanding. "That's a good idea. Otherwise, just looking at the ground on a TV screen might miss some details."

Hu Wenhai nodded vigorously. "The control system is already in place, so it won't be a problem. Not just a camera, but maybe even a machine gun or bombs to help you eliminate the enemy."

"Hah, that won't be easy," Heng Jianyun laughed. "A single bomb weighs at least a hundred pounds, and aircraft machine guns and cannons are even heavier. Your toy can't carry that much weight, can it?"

Hu Wenhai smiled but didn't argue. "Not now, but one day it will."

Heng Jianyun watched the pilot operate the simulation aircraft in the sky for a while, then land back on the ground. He couldn't resist pulling out a pack of cigarettes, lighting one, and taking a deep puff.

"Old Hu, your factory's simulation aircraft is really great! With it, soldiers won't have to risk their lives on infiltration missions."

Hu Jiefang waved his hand and said generously, "Since Jianyun thinks it's good, I'll have the factory give you two."

A set of simulation aircraft and control panel cost about 10,000 RMB, so two sets would cost over 20,000 RMB. However, Pakistan had already expressed interest in purchasing the simulation aircraft, and they would pay in U.S. dollars, which would bring in several times the cost in profit. Hu Jiefang felt quite generous.

"That would be great!" Heng Jianyun didn't hesitate and smiled. He put his arm around Hu Jiefang's shoulder and said happily, "Let's go, I have to raise a glass to this simulation aircraft!"

"Sure, let's drink until we're drunk!"

Heng Jianyun was about to go to the front lines, and Hu Jiefang, who never drank during work hours, decided to indulge himself this time.

"Dad, Mom is waiting for you at home!" Hu Wenhai quickly pulled Hu Jiefang aside and explained, "It's not a personal matter, no, it's not an ordinary personal matter. Mayor Wang of Xiucheng is at our house, and we can't make decisions without you."

"Wang Yichun?" Hu Jiefang immediately mentioned the mayor's name. This was an era when workers could argue with factory managers, and it wasn't unusual for a factory manager to call the mayor by his first name.

"Grandpa has already gone back, and this matter requires all of us to be present."

"Ah, what's the matter? Did you get into trouble again?"

Hu Wenhai sighed, realizing he couldn't change his father's perception of him. He said helplessly, "Dad, do you remember the scope that Mom and I made? A foreign businessman is willing to pay three million U.S. dollars for the patent."

"What, three million! U.S. dollars!"

Hu Jiefang suddenly felt less confident about his financial situation.